On 2008-07-14, l, not -l > wrote:

> Yet InBev has said one of the main reasons they want AB is to take Bud
> international; they see that as a huge growth market.

It's true. A search of the web reveals that gen x-y beer drinkers are no
longer interested in classic german beers ...a weiss, bock, or kolsch... and
sales of great euro beers are down while sales of US-style canoe beers are up
all over Europe. I ran across websites as far back as 7-8 yrs ago lamenting
the decline of classic German beers from oldtimers and young beer lovers
alike.

Face it, it's a McDonalds kind of world, these days. Bland cheese, lousy
food, watery beer, lowfat milk, flavorless vegetables, high-end vodka
(flavorless), etc. I was recently accused of having no tastebuds and
needing strong food to detect any flavor. I put it to you that Americans
can no longer tolerate rich, flavorful foods and demand bland insipid food
or they about have a stroke. Even ethnic foods that American claim to love
are so dumbed down by native cooks as to hold little resemblence to the real
thing. Most Americans would gag on real Chinese food.

It's no accident US beers are "close to water". It started after
prohibition as an attempt to get more women to like beer. Make it less
hoppy, less bitter. Make it more smooth, not so strong. You know why
Americans drink cold beer? One is the style, a German style pilsner or
lager, and two, the ice cold serving temps kill what little flavor is
left. It's worked all too well and Americans have been drinking what
amounts to melted yellow snow for half a century.

No, I have plenty of tastebuds and I damn well want every single one of
them to know what their job is and to do it! Give me a beer with clout. A
beer I can chew and will chew my ass back.

nb